This week, Alida and Kathryn discuss writing with whimsey. Whimsical writing can add humor and charm to writing, but it’s not only for children’s stories. Lighthearted, quirky, and funny moments add levity to otherwise serious or dark tales. After this week’s episode, you might just find yourself writing whimsically.
This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn talk dialogue. We’ve noticed what may be some poor advice and some frightening trends in dialogue floating around out there. Time to bust some myths and pop some speech balloons!
How should dialogue be formatted and how does it differ from interiority and thoughts?
When and why does it make sense to honor trusted conventions?
How would “experimentation” work in the voice of AI?
We draw on the past two Writers Book Club short stories for examples of dialogue, interiority, and narrative point of view. There is a lot of craft to unpack in this week’s episode, a bit of silliness, and a writing prompt, too!
“Dialogue is an art form all in and of itself. So be aware of what you’re putting on the page.”
“Dialogue should reveal something to the reader.”
Do MPWW writers take emotional risks in their writing? How can we take a page from their book to form supportive writing communities? And how is the Twin Cities Community involved in supporting the program? Has the MPWW program affected the DOC? And what misconceptions does Jen encounter? And finally, we talk about how you can help support this program, and all the work that it is doing!
What is the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop? How did it begin? And what is it like to go into a state prison (in MN) and teach writing? What genre does MPWW teach? And how does it help writers? What kind of community has grown out of MPWW’s work within the prison system?
Why did Judy start writing PI novels? And how did her background help with the details? What are some pitfalls to avoid when writing a PI novel? And why is the narrator so important? We dive into the gray zone of legality in a PI novel, as well as how to add complexity, even if your narrator doesn’t have an arc.
Should you have your theme in mind when you start the book? Is there a formula that Talia follows for her particular books? And how did her writing turn into activism? Talia’s message for all of us is to take advantage of the opportunities that you are given.
What inspires writers to create a story? How small can that spark of inspiration be? Once you have the inspiration, you must also have the courage to write that story! We talk about how to write your way through a story, with only the destination in mind. And how to correctly use creative license in historical fiction.
Why is description so important? And why should we focus on it, both in our first draft, and the subsequent ones? How does writing in a flow state change your ability to describe as you draft? How can you revise in description? And when should you step away from your draft in order to craft it? In the end, don’t let lack of description stop forward momentum. You can, and should, fix it later!
How is the story behind the Third Daughter relevant to today’s world? Why did Talia take the story into the past rather than the present? Did the publisher object to the content of the book? And how can you keep it relatable to the readers, despite the content?
How did Talia come to be an author? And what inspired her to write The Third Daughter? How did fact and imagination merge? And what sources did Talia find to flesh out the Third Daughter?
Why should we talk about world-building with religion? Should your characters have a belief system? And how can you use it to create rich depth for your world and your character motivation? How should you present it in your work? And how can you make it natural to your world and your characters?